This tasty porter from River Horse pours a deep, dark brown capped with a head of dense tan foam that retains very well and laces the glass nicely as it recedes. Brewed with one pound of real chocolate per barrel, along with vanilla beans from Madagascar, it's no surprise that prominent chocolate notes announce themselves upfront in the aroma. Look also for rich caramel, light roasted tones, toasted bread, and brown sugar. On the palate, we found this brew to be a delicious indulgence as big chocolaty notes come through upfront here, as well, along with a prominent roasty & toasty character and hints of coffee, nuts, and dark fruits. There's a mild sweetness, but it's well balanced by the roasted malt character and a touch of lightly spicy hop bitterness. Smooth and on the full side of medium-bodied, this tasty chocolate porter is excellent on its own, but food pairings are possible, as well. Work with chocolate as your guiding principle for pairings, either as a match to chocolaty desserts or as a complement alongside vanilla-forward desserts and baked goods. The chocolate and dark roast would also go well with some heavier grilled meats. Cheers!

River Horse Brewing Company (Ewing, NJ)

When it opened for business in 1996, River Horse Brewing Company was at the vanguard of New Jersey’s craft brewing renaissance. Founded by two homebrewing brothers in Lambertville, NJ, on the Delaware River, River Horse was named in reference to the hippopotamus, an animal whose name is derived from the Greek words for “horse of the river.” Thus, the hippo features whimsically in all of the brewery’s logos and beer label artwork.

In 2007, the original founders passed control of the brewery to current owners Chris Walsh and Glenn Bernabeo who had desired to leave their desk jobs for something with a bit more passion. In their words, “We were finance geeks living in a world without soul. Grinding it out everyday for a fee, wearing suits and kissing butt.” Since taking over ownership, the new duo has met much success, and by 2013 demand had reached the point that the original Lambertville location was just not working. That summer, River Horse moved their operations to a new facility in Ewing which is large enough to handle production of as much as 80,000 barrels per year – far above the 9500 they had been topping out at in Lambertville.

River Horse currently produces six year-round beers as well as ten seasonals, plus a few barrel-aged and sour offerings in waxed-dipped 750ml bottles. For more info about the brewery and tour schedules, contact them at 609-883-0890 or visit. www.riverhorse.com.

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